The Equity and Inclusion Action Plan 2024-2027 FAQs

Equity is where everyone is treated according to their diverse needs in a way that enables all people to participate, perform and engage to the same extent.  While equality is about sameness – treating everyone the same, equity recognizes that people need different treatment to achieve the same outcome, depending on their identities and social locations.

Inclusion is creating a culture that embraces, respects, accepts, and values diversity.  It is a mindful and equitable effort to meet individual needs so everyone feels valued, respected, and able to contribute to their fullest potential.  It is meaningless to have a diverse group of voices at the table, if each voice is not given equal weight.  Inclusion is a choice to include each voice equitably.

Diversity is how we measure our success in creating equity and inclusion. Diversity is a fact.  If opportunities to gain employment at the City of London are equitable, we will naturally see diversity across the Corporation.  If employees for all groups experience a sense of inclusion and belonging, we will naturally see high retention rates for diverse groups of employees.

The Equity and Inclusion Action Plan is a joint initiative between People Services and the Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Division.

The Equity and Inclusion Action Plan will begin with an Equity and Inclusion Audit Survey. This confidential voluntary survey will be managed and collected by an external vendor. After the survey, the team will offer focus groups, also managed by an external vendor, to discuss how we can address the themes and insights that come out of the survey responses.

Each action item in the Equity and Inclusion Action Plan will have one or more measurable key performance indicators. Reports will be made available at regular intervals to ensure employees and other key partners remain updated on the progress and implementation of the plan.

The Equity and Inclusion Audit Survey is an anonymous survey that will ask employees to confidentially answer questions about their social identities (demographic data) and experiences with equity and inclusion at the City of London. Specifically, employees will be invited to share their experiences and perspectives as they relate to social identity/demographics, leadership inclusivity, transparent policies and practices, representation and advancement, inclusion and belonging, focus and commitment, and knowledge and skills.

Council has directed the City of London to report on workplace demographic data, and our People Plan directs us to revise our current Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Plan (2014.) With our most recent demographic data from 2017, there is a need to update this data. In addition, efforts to address racism and oppression should be designed with employee feedback and input so that they are specific and relevant. The updated data received from the Equity and Inclusion Audit Survey will inform the Equity and Inclusion Action Plan 2024-2027.

By engaging in the survey, you are putting your experiences, knowledge, and opinions towards the environment that the City of London continues to create. The Equity and Inclusion Audit Survey will provide baseline data that will help determine the actions needed to address racism and oppression. The more employees who participate in the survey, the more representative and accurate the results and subsequent Equity and Inclusion Action Plan 2024-2027 will be.

The Equity and Inclusion Audit insights and themes will help inform the following:

• 2024-2027 Equity and Inclusion Action Plan

• Employee services and supports

• Employee professional development

• Attracting, retaining, and promoting employees from equity-deserving groups

Demographic information is key to understanding how various identities might influence people’s experiences with the City of London. Being able to combine demographic questions with other questions, such as gender identity with feelings of belonging, can provide an understanding of who is or isn’t feeling supported within the City of London. 

Demographic information will help us understand: 

• How reflective our employees are of the community we serve. 
• If employees have varied experiences with or perspectives on equity and inclusion in the workplace. 
• How we can create a workplace that feels more inclusive for our current employees. 
• If there are any barriers for people with certain identities to gain or advance in their employment with the City of London.

The survey will officially open on February 21, 2023 and remain open until mid-March.

Employees will have the option to: 

• Use a City of London provided device to complete the survey online.
• Complete a paper copy of the survey questions and place their survey responses in a confidential sealed envelope and deposit it in a secure drop box located throughout City workspaces, or mail it directly to the vendor using a provided pre-addressed, postage-paid envelope.
• Employees may also use a personal device to complete the survey online by scanning the QR code provided.

The survey may take up to 20 minutes to complete. The online survey must be completed in one sitting. As you go through the survey, you can go back to alter previous responses, but you can only submit the survey once.

Yes. Managers are asked to set aside time for employees to complete the survey during their shift.

We have taken accessibility into consideration when developing this survey. For alternative formats or assistance completing this survey please contact Krista Arnold at karnold@london.ca or 519.661.2489 ext 5063.

No. The Equity and Inclusion Audit Survey is completely voluntary. Any and/or all questions can be skipped if desired. However, all employees are encouraged to complete the survey.

No City of London employees will see independent survey answers. Lunaria Solutions is the third-party external vendor that has been hired to facilitate the Equity and Inclusion Audit Survey. Lunaria Solutions is a Canadian-based company that works alongside organizations like the City of London to help them use data to advance equity and inclusion efforts. They have developed the survey together with our input and will compile and present the results in a themed overview report that will be shared with all employees.